OnePlus One receives first official Android 5.0 Lollipop alpha ROM: How to install

OnePlus has released the official CyangenMod 12 ROM featuring Android 5.0OnePlus

OnePlus has released its first official Android 5.0 Lollipop alpha custom build for the OnePlus One smartphone.

Last month, OnePlus confirmed it was working on its custom ROM [a non-CyanogenMod ROM], close to the stock version, bloat-free and highly customisable. The company has now shared a new custom ROM, which it says is a "first step in what will become their own custom ROM".

This custom build is an early version and contains no extra features beyond the stock taste of AOSP (Android Open Source Project) Lollipop. The company will release the official firmware shortly, which will be costomisable, bloat-free with stock-Android-like features by default. Check out the known issues in the early release of this new Android Lollipop ROM.

Known issues

Data roaming is on by default. Make sure to turn if off to avoid potential charges.

As always, flashing a custom ROM incurs the risk of bricking your phone. Make sure you know what you're doing and backup everything.

Camera and video may be unstable. This build supports 4k video, however quality may be low as the company is still fine-tuning the camera.

Capacitive keys do not turn off when you enable software keys.

Clock crashes periodically.

If using the new app pinning feature in L, make sure to turn on the software keys first. Otherwise, you will have to reboot your machine.

On first boot, startup time will be a bit slow. Rest assured things will speed up in the future.

Wi-Fi may be unstable.

This build is not eligible for OTA updates.

If you wish to try out the first Android Lollipop alpha build on your OnePlus One smartphone, head over to the installation guide. Do not forget to check the key notes before installing the custom build. Also, keep in mind that while flashing custom ROMs is under warranty, the company will not take responsibility of any issues encountered during or after the installation.

Key notes

Create a back up of all data of your OnePlus One using any recovery.

Users are advised to install the TWRP recovery on their device. Click here to know more about installation instruction for recovery on your device.

If you have Gapps package, you can install it after the installation of the ROM, in order to access Google services.

The custom build does not have a built-in recovery, so if you perform a clean wipe, you might have to reflash TWRP onto your device.

Your OnePlus One should have above 80% battery charge.

The Android Lollipop ROM is in its alpha stage with limited testing, therefore the device might come across various bugs with the installation. Proceed with extreme caution.

The stock Android 5.0 ROM works only with OnePlus One. Flashing this on any other device could damage it. Therefore, verify model number of your device before proceeding.